The present invention relates to a novel structure of a sprinkler, namely an oscillating lawn sprinkler, which is designed to be easily stackable with like sprinklers.
The following description sets forth the inventors' knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
Applicants incorporate by reference, U.S. Pat. No. 7,607,590.
Lawn sprinklers have been known and used for many decades. A typical lawn sprinkler is attached to a water hose and placed in an area to be watered. To operate the sprinkler, a user simply turns on the water from the water source (e.g., faucet) and the sprinkler waters the yard.
Over the years, improvements have been made to the operating design of sprinklers. For example, Melnor Model No. 4000™ sprinkler includes a novel adjustment tab that adjusts the spray width of the sprinkler However, little attention has been paid to improving the fit or form factor of the sprinkler itself.
That is, a sprinkler generally includes a base (or sled) and a spray tube. These components typically produce an irregular shape, so manufacturers put each sprinkler in a generally rectangular (often cardboard) box and then stack one box one on top of another during shipping, storing, and displaying stages. However, the box in which each sprinkler is individually packaged takes up a large amount of shipping space and shelf space. This is because the box, by necessity, is larger than the sprinkler itself. Because of this, less sprinklers fit in each shipment container and less sprinklers fit on the shelf, whether inventory or retail.
Moreover, retail stores often have outdoor lawn & garden centers wherein they display products, such as sprinklers. However, it is not desirable for such retailers to sell or even leave a boxed sprinkler outside unattended because the box (e.g., cardboard packaging) may be damaged due to moisture from rain or plant watering.
In an attempt to overcome this problem, it has been suggested to make the packaging material (cardboard box) out of a weather resistant material. However, doing so leads to increased packaging costs and does not present any advantage with respect to saving materials or space.